Covering material and method of making the same



D. FlNLEY May 30, 1933.

COVERING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed May 24, 1927 U M E 0 E7; M2 A mM H H K Patented May 30, 19.33

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOZIEB. FINLEY, OF BERKELEY,

CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE PARAFIINE OOH- PANIEB, INC., 01 SAN IE'RANCISGO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPQRATION OI DELAWARE oovname m'rmuar. Ann xn'rnon or MAKING 'rnn sum Application filed Kay 24,

ase 1n the manufacture of floor and wall coverings.

One of the objects of my invention is the vproduction of a covering 1n which a wider range of color efiects can be secured than has been possible heretofore.

Another object of my invention is the production of a covering in which the entire surface, or selected areas thereof, are coated with a light reflecting substance to enhance the brillianc and depth of the coloring.

Another 0 ject of my invention is the production of a covering, the entire surface or portions of which are coated with a transparent material.

My invention possesses other objects and valuable features, some of which will be set forth in the following description of my invention which is illustrated in the drawing forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said descri tion and drawing, as I may ado t varying orms of my invention, within t e scope of the claims.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of my covering material showing the transparent and opaque portions of the coating.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the application of a light reflecting medium disposed under the transparent portion of the coating.

Floor coverings of the type known as felt base floor coverings have been made accord-- ing to a practically unvarying procedure since the beginning of the industry. Brief- 1y this procedure comprises saturating a base sheet, preferably felt, with an asphaltic compound having a melting pointv of from 115 F. to 145 F. This saturated sheet is then coated on both sides with linseed oil or China-wood oil base paint, the underside, which is designed to lie next to the floor, receiving a comparatively thin coating in which suflicient pigment is carried to hide the black color of the base. The upper surface receives a much thicker coating which may be designated as a seal coat as it 1027. Serial 110. 193,828.

seals the as halt in the base and prevents its black co or from bleeding thru 1nto the print coats which are superimposed upon the seal coat. The rint coat is practically a p1 ented varnis enamel which is aplie gy means of a system of block printing. he print coat, when dried, constitutes the final finish of the floor covering. The surface is enamel-like in character due to the fact that varnish has been used in the print paint. The enamel-like surface thus roduced is usually deemed sufficient for a i inal finish, but there are certain manufacturers who are making such printed floor coveriiigsand applying over the printed surface a finish surfacecoating com rising a nitrocellulose lacquer. It hasnot een uncommon to apply varnish over the surface of printed floor coverings either before or after they have been put into service. The present invention does not, however, have anything to do with the practice of merely varnishing or lacquering the surface.

Before taking up the various steps of the process it is necessary that consideration be given the matter of light absorption and reflection. In the manufacturev of floor coverings as just explained, the enamel paint composing the printed surface provides but one method of producing color effects. The paint is composed of a more or less light colored oil and varnish mixture and has v ground into it pigments of such character as zinc oxide, with or without tinting colors such as ultra-marine blue.- No matter what may be the character of the pigment, the color is seen by the observer in accordance with the following phenomena. Light from the prevailin source is directed to the surface of the oor covering where it passes thru' an almost infinitely thin layer of oil varnish and strikes the uppermost layer of pigment particles. If there is no preferentlal absorption of the various component colors in the original White light, then practically all of the white light is again diffused outwardly and the observer sees white light except the green, this green is diffused outwardly and the observer sees a green area. It will thus be observedthat the light absorption has taken place at the surface of a solid particle of matter and has not been brought about by the absorption of compenent colors of the White light while the light was traveling thru an appreciable thickness of transparent material.

There is another type of light absorption of which no advantage has ever been taken in the printing of floor coverings. This type of light absorption is obtained when the light is assed thru a colored glass or a colored me ium of any description which has the characteristics of transparency or translucency. It is a type of absorption the wearing or service coat an which is entirely different from that which takes place when light hits an opaque object and is again thrown awayfrom that object. Thefact that white or any other colored light from an opaque surface appears different from the same color of light which is passed thru a transparent colored medium is a matter of common experience. It is with the object of taking advantage of this fact that the present ilnvention has been developed.

Broadly, my invention relates to the method of applying a wearing surface to a base, which comprises first overlayin all or selected areas of the surface with a light reflecting material over which a transparent wearing or service coating is applied. The transparent coating is preferably applied only over the surface which has previously been overlaid: with the light reflecting material. When only'selected areas are covered in this manner, the remaining areas are preferabl covered with the usual paint coats. I desired the transparent coating may be colored by suitable dies or stains or color effects can be secured by using a colored li ht reflecting medium.

In detail, the method of my invention is carried out as follows: A base 2, preferably a felt sheet such as is customarily used in the manufacture of floor covering, is treated with a linseed oil or a China-wood oil base paint'and covered with the usual sealv to receive up to this point my method is the same as that previously employed. In carrying out" my process, it is referable that certain areas be selected on w ich the method of printing of coat 3. The baseisv then read this invention will be applied. For example, it will be found particularly applicable to thepetals and leaves of flowers, but is of course not necessarily confined to this use, as the entire surface may be so coated if desired.

When selected areas are to be covered in accordance with this method, such selected areas are first coated with a light reflecting incorporated in the light reflecting coating to give a colored background. The design is then printed on the floor covering using the printing blocks in the normal manner with the exception that a varnish is used on the printing blocks for the selected areas, while the usual print paint is used on the blocks printing the remainin areas. In other words a surface is provi ed inwhich selected areas are overlaid with a transparent coatingfi while the remaining areas are covered with an opaque coating 7. In order to produce a smooth surface it is essential that the thickness of both the print coat and the varnish coat be the same. It will thus be obvious that a transparent coating of varnish, having an appreciable thickness is provided, and since the light absorption in a transparent coatin is so different from that in an opaque sur ace, these areas are emphasized so that very attractive contrasts can be secured.

The varnish coating may, if desired, contain an oil soluble stain.. For example, if the petals of a red rose are to be represented. the varnish probably would be stained with a soluble'red dye and if the leaves were to be represented, a soluble green dye would be dissolved in the varnish. When adding these stains, consideration mustbe given to the thickness of the coat. A thin transparent object appears to have a much lighter color than a thick one, and since the transparent varnish coat is of appreciable thickness, care must be taken to secure the color desired.

When the surface of the floor covering is dry, the areas covered with the transparent coatlng appear to lie, in different planes than the areas covered with the opaque coating. There is also a difference in the character of the colors produced in the two kle slightly while being secured to the base.

The transparent varnish coating 9 is applied over the foil in the same manner as when a light reflecting metallic paint is a used. When the light reflecting; surface is colored, a clear varnish may be used if desired, or varnishes of contrasting colors may lfae employed to produce very unusual efects. 1

I have referred to the use of a transparent varnish coat thruout the specification, and while spar varnish is probably the best suited for this use, there are other coating materials which may be employed. For example, the following may be used in place of spar varnish: flooring or furniture varnishes, lacquers, preferably the lacquers having a base of cellulose esters, and some of the phenol condensation products commonly referred to as synthetic resins. have explained my process as applied to floor coverings which are made in a printing machine, but it is obvious that the same results can be obtained by the application of the varnish with'a brush or spray.

I claim:

1. The process of applying a service coating to a base which comprises applying on selected areas of the base a vehicle containing 1i provi e a colored light reflecting film, covering only said selected areas of the base with a transparent coat, and coverin the remaining surface of the base wit an opaque coat, whereby the transparent coated areas are emphasized and made to appear to lie ina different plane from the opaque coating.

1 2. An article of manufacture comprisin a base, a li ht reflecting film on a selected area of sai base and comprising light reflecting material and dye held in a vehicle which adheres to the base, a transparent coat disposed only over said film, and an opaque coating on said base and adjacent said transparent coat, whereby the transparent coated area is emphasized and made to appear to lie in a different plane from the opaque coating.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DOZIER FINLEY.

ht reflecting material and a dye to 

